Secondary school locked in Islamic headscarf row - because new uniform is not modest enough

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A secondary school has become embroiled in a headscarf row with parents over plans to introduce a standardised veil for Muslim girls - with some complaining that the new headdresses are not modest enough.

Sir John Thursby Community College, Burnley, has been forced to clarify its position after an online petition was launched by parents warning that the new headscarves resemble a “swimming cap” and are “too short”.

Previously, girls wishing to wear a headscarf were permitted to choose their own style providing it was black, as is required by other secondary schools in the area.

But now a dispute has escalated between parents and staff at Sir John Thursby, after it unveiled plans for school-approved veils amid concerns that some were not being worn “correctly”.

According to the petition, which was set up earlier this year, the new veils are “ very displeasing” for pupils and pose a health and safety risk because it can “cause suffocation if it pulled back by another person.”

It continues: "Unfortunately there was very little consultation by parents or the girls attending the school. Consequently a scarf designed by the school has been created. It is very tight and in some cases too short as some of the girls have long hair and so it defeats the object to wear it."

Signed by more than 150 people, the petition claims that some children have been told to remove their scarves and replace them with one approved by the school, which the authors allege is “not a choice but an ultimatum”.

It also questions the reasoning behind the new uniform, adding: "So what is the real agenda? It is to put girls off wearing one at all?"

Shah Hussain, councillor for Daneshouse and Stoneyholme, said that he had been contacted by several parents who had written to the school to voice their concerns.

"Children have told them it is not appropriate,” he added. “The whole point is it is supposed to protect the wearer's modesty and that does not happen. They are quite unhappy about it.

"It is quite short and leaves the chest area not covered. The wearers are saying it should serve a purpose and if it is not serving the purpose why should they wear it? It has to be designed with the wearer in mind and the wearer helping to design it.”

Following the controversy, headmaster David Burton has written to parents to defend the policy and dismiss suggestions that the school is “against” headscarves as untrue.

"We are sorry that there have been suggestions that the school is against headscarves,” he wrote. "This is not true. We respect fully the wishes of girls to wear a headscarf and we always have done.

"Students, staff and parents had expressed some concerns that some students were not wearing headscarves correctly although the rules had not changed on headscarves.

"We looked towards changing the uniform policy to include a uniform headscarf as we were aware that a change needed to be considered. We started a consultation process in September and we are still collecting the views of parents.

"Once we have collected these views we will be discussing them with governors."